The Vampire of Sacramento: Serial Killer Richard Chase

[Music] Hello and welcome to Historical True Crime, the podcast where we take a look back at history's darkest crimes and criminals. I'm your host Lizzie and today is episode 72. You're going to get chills from this episode as we dig into the mysterious and unsettling case of Richard Trenton Chase, aka the vampire of Sacramento. The horrific elements of Richard's tale linger in the shadows of true crime, menacing those who venture to discover them. A whole nation was stunned by his plunge into madness and depravity, which left a path of fear in its wake, but who was Richard Chase, and what motivated him to carry out such horrific acts. Well join me as we explore the darkest corners of Chase's twisted mind and reveal the terrifying realities that dwell there. This episode will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering about the basic essence of humanity itself, from his unsettling obsessions to the horrific murders that rocked California to its core. Richard Chase was born on May 23rd, 1950 in Santa Clara County, California. His parents, Richard Chase Sr., a computer specialist, and be addressed a teacher. From a very young age, he was a disturbed child. A number of challenges plagued Richard's early years, including difficult family relationships and early onset behavioral problems. According to reports, he showed evidence of animal cruelty, which is frequently a precursor to violent conduct. Richard's mental state would deteriorate as he grew older, and he also acquired more detachment from reality and loneliness. Richard has often been described as having the McDonald Triad, or the Triad of Sociopathy. This is a theory that was put forth by psychiatrist J.M. McDonald in the 1960s. It implied that bedwiting passed a particular age, starting fires, and animal cruelty were the three behavioral patterns that might signal the propensity for aggressive behavior as an adult. The McDonald Triad's validity has been extensively refuted in contemporary psychological research, despite its early influence on how we perceive criminal psychology. But let's examine the Triad's components first. Beyond the ages of five or six, bedwiting was thought to indicate an underlying psychiatric disorder, potentially pointing to ingrained emotional problems, especially when combined with an obsession with fire or arson. Fire setting was perceived as an expression of a need for dominance and destruction. It was believed that cruelty to animals, which is frequently defined by harming or killing pets or wildlife, was a sign of a lack of empathy and a tendency towards sadistic conduct. Subsequent research exposed the McDonald Triad's serious shortcomings and flaws. It's dependence on correlation, rather than causality is a major criticism. Even while it's possible that many violent offenders displayed these traits as children, the great majority of people who exhibit the Triad do not go on to conduct violent crimes. Moreover, the Triad is unable to explain the intricate interactions between psychological, environmental, and hereditary elements that influence anti-social behavior. Furthermore, the Triad ignores how social and cultural factors shape behavior. For instance, bedwiting is not only a sign of psychological distress, it can also be caused by a number of other things such as genetics, trauma, or physical health problems. Similarly, rather than stemming from an innate passion for destruction, lighting fires could be a reaction to stress or peer pressure. And furthermore, rather than being the result of a natural tendency towards sadism, animal abuse could result from exposure to domestic violence or a lack of knowledge about animal care. In psychology, the McDonald Triad has been widely discredited, despite its extensive acceptance in the past. While some childhood behaviors might serve as warning signs for future psychological issues, they are by no means deterministic indicators of aggression in the future. Psychologists today place more emphasis on customized intervention tactics, and through risk assessments rather than oversimplified ideas like the McDonald Triad. But Richard's childhood and behavior was less than idyllic. His parents were severe enforcers, who frequently administered punishment. He was forced fed by his father until he vomited when he was only two years old. Later, his sister Pamela would recollect incidents in which her brother and their father would get into fights, and Richard's senior would end up tossing his son against a wall or shaking him violently. It's also said that the older Richard was emotionally abusive, yelling at his son for whatever mistake the boy made. His parents' marital issues stemmed from the elder Richard's inability to manage his finances and his drinking. They would frequently argue, usually in front of their small children. Beatrice was prone to accusing her husband of using dope and attempting to poison her. Over time, she also started to accuse him of cheating on her with their neighbors. At one point, she even said he was cheating while the family was vacationing in Oregon. As Richard Jr. would grow older, he began to abuse alcohol and narcotics, primarily smoking LSD in marijuana. He would go on to spend a large part of his life in an out of mental institutions. According to Ramsland for Crime Library, throughout his adult life, Richard was obsessed with any indication that something might be wrong with him. He once went into an emergency department trying to find the man who had stolen his pulmonary artery. He would also complain of his stomach being backwards, his heart stopping frequently, and that bones were protruding through the back of his head. He was given a paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis by a psychiatrist who believed he might be experiencing toxic psychosis brought on by drugs. After being placed under observation for a full 72 hours, it was advised that Richard remained in the hospital, but he was also free to leave at any time without authorization. So Richard left. At this point in his life, Richard began to kill and disinvowel rabbits that he either purchased or caught. He then consumed the raw entrails. Sometimes in an attempt to prevent his heart from shrinking to the point that he thought it might disappear from his body, he would put intestines containing the animal blood into a blender, liquefy them, and drink the mixture. He once became seriously unwell after injecting rabbit blood right into his veins. This rabbit had a severe case of blood poisoning, but he thought he had swallowed battery acid that simply spilled into his stomach. Richard was ultimately admitted as a schizophrenic with somatic delusions. And doctors would try anti-psychotic drugs, but they wouldn't work, suggesting that his drug addiction may have been the catalyst for his psychosis. Once again, he would leave hospital care, and he would turn up at his mother's place in 1976. But he'd have to return again to the hospital and eventually check himself into Beverly Manor, a home for people suffering from mental illness, where he became known as Dracula. He had a habit of talking about murdering rabbits, and one day they found him with blood all over his mouth. There were two birds outside his window with broken necks, leading some to believe that Richard suffered from Renfield syndrome, also known as clinical vampirism. It's a rare psychiatric condition, characterized by a fixation on blood drinking, or the belief that one needs to consume blood for sustenance or vitality. The name is derived from the character Renfield and Bram Stoker's classic novel, Dracula, who exhibits similar behaviors under the influence of the vampire count. Individuals with Renfield syndrome often experience intense fantasies or delusions involving vampirism, leading them to engage in behaviors such as blood drinking, self-injury to obtain blood, or even acts of violence with the intent to drink blood. These behaviors may be driven by a variety of psychological factors, including a desire for power, control, or a distorted sense of identity. But cases of Renfield syndrome are exceedingly rare, and the condition is not officially recognized as a distinct psychiatric disorder in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5. Instead, it's often classified under broader categories such as psychotic disorders or parapheral disorders, depending on the specific symptoms and underlying psychological mechanisms involved. Richard was ultimately released from this mental institution after it was determined that he did not pose a threat to anyone. His parents were granted conservatorship that would be renewed annually. After relocating to a new apartment, Richard began to catch and torture dogs, cats, and rabbits. In order to consume their blood, he slaughtered them. Richard's mother didn't believe that he needed his medication, so she would wean him off of them herself. Richard would be left on his own when his conservatorship was ended by the courts in 1977, and he his parents failed to extend it. Late one night in the Lake Tahoe region in August of 1977, Richard would be found covered in blood, with a pale containing a liver in the back of his pickup when Nevada police discovered him. But they would release Richard after concluding that the organ in blood belonged to a cow rather than a person. Once more Richard slipped through the system, but his crime spree would truly begin in December of 1977 when he embarked on a string of home invasion and burglaries in the Sacramento area. He displayed erratic and disturbing behavior, often entering homes and stealing personal belongings. However, it wasn't until January 1978 that Richard's crimes escalated to unspeakable brutality. Ambrose Griffin, 51, would become the first human victim of the vampire of Sacramento on December 29th, 1977, while helping his wife unload groceries into their Robertson Avenue home. He'd be discovered in his front yard with a 22 slug in his chest. At first his wife thought he had suffered a heart attack and fell. This random murder signal the start of a rampage that would terrify Sacramento for weeks to come. Richard continued to pick off victims throughout the course of the following month, frequently breaking into their homes without warning and torturing them severely. He used gruesomely violent techniques, stabbing and shooting his victims, both adults and children. Robert Ressler and FBI agent once questioned Chase about how he chose his victims. Richard said that he tested doors as he traveled down the block in search of one that was unlocked. He said that if a door was locked, it meant you weren't welcome. Well, it seems that he must have discovered the Walden residence door unlocked. Terry Wallen, a 22-year-old pregnant woman, would be his next victim. When her husband David came home from work, he would discover Terry disemboweled and bloodless. Seems like Richard had drawn her blood out and put some of it in a yogurt cup to sip. When the investigation into Terry's murder got underway, more events nearby were unearthed, like a break in and a close property where the disemboweled remains of a dog were recently discovered. Only four days after Terry was killed on January 27, 1978. Richard would discover Evelyn Mirroff's door unlocked. Her nephew David, aged 22, her six-year-old son, Jason, and his friend Dan were all inside. Evelyn would be shot in the head and dying the hallway. In the bedroom, David and Jason were discovered, the young child having two gunshot wounds to the head. Now Evelyn had been partially devoured. Her organs missing and her stomach slaced open. She'd even been sawtomized, and an effort to remove one of her eyes had been unsuccessful. There is also an infant inside, whom Evelyn had been babysitting, but was not found at the crime scene. Months later, his decapitated body would be found behind a church. Following these horrific murders, Sacramento law enforcement officials had an enormous obstacle in trying to piece together the intricate case and capture this elusive murderer. The FBI would be contacted by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department to assist with their investigation once they realize they required specialized knowledge. Among the FBI agents sent in to help with this case was Robert Ressler, a known specialist in behavioral analysis and criminal profiling. As a seasoned detective, Ressler and his partners, duties involved gathering information, examining trends from the crime scene and creating the perpetrator's profile. They attempted to comprehend the motivations and psychological makeup of the person accountable for these crimes. Law enforcement personnel were able to focus their investigation and narrow down their search because of the vital insights of Ressler and his partners, combination of forensic evidence, victimology, and psychological profiling techniques. Their engagement in the case proved crucial in directing the investigation. Ressler would create a profile of the NSAB. They believed he was a disorganized killer rather than one that was organized. And some clues suggested he might even be psychotic. They estimated him to be a thin, malnourished white man in his mid-twenties. They were certain his home would contain evidence of the crimes. He would be somewhat of a recluse with a history of drug abuse, mental illness, or both. Given his apparent mental state, they surmised that he was either unemployed or working at a low-paying job. Most likely, he'd be a single man. But a break in the case would come unexpectedly. A woman in her 20s would provide police with a crucial lead when she bumped into a man from high school who approached her. He was quite skinny with blood stains on his sweatshirt. His eyes were sunken. She recognized him as Richard Chase. Police would discover that Richard lived within a mile of most of the murder sites. Officers would detain Chase and search as apartment. There they discover a gun connected to most of the murders. He'd be taken into custody with force. They'd also find a 12-inch butcher knife, rubber boots, animal collars, three blenders filled with blood, and other plates inside the refrigerator filled with body parts. Richard was charged with six counts of murder. And his trial would begin on January 2nd, 1979. Throughout his trial, the prosecutor highlighted that Richard had a choice and made repeated references to his intention to kill the victims by bringing rapper gloves and other necessary supplies to their homes. There would be 250 prosecution exhibits in total, including Richard's revolver and Dan's wallet, both of which were discovered on Richard. The jury would ultimately find Richard guilty in all charges after only five hours of deliberation. And he was given the death penalty. In prison, Richard would terrify his fellow prisoners. They'd frequently tell him to commit suicide. And eventually, that's exactly what Richard did. He accumulated enough anti-anxiety medication that the prison staff had given him to take a lethal overdose. The day after Christmas in 1980, he was discovered dead in his prison cell. It's hard to avoid feeling uneasy as we come to the end of this episode into the sinister and unsettling case of Richard Chase. Every facet of his existence from his difficult background to his spiral into violence and insanity presents a chilling portrait of a man obsessed by darkness. But ultimately, we can overlook his victims, whose lives were taken senselessly. Their names and stories need to be remembered. What led Richard down this path? Was it a result of his childhood, mental illness or drugs? Probably most likely, it's a combination of all three. But we'll never fully understand the mind of someone like Richard Chase. And with that, we'll come to the end of another episode. We hope you've enjoyed it. If you did, please remember to review, rate, and subscribe. You can reach us on social media and Instagram @HistoricalTrueCrimPod or Facebook @HistoricalTrueCrimPodcast. If you have any feedback for us or a suggestion for an upcoming episode, you can also reach us by email at [email protected]. And we'll see you next week for another dark and notorious case from history. We'll see you then. [MUSIC PLAYING]